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Pretrial Release Services

Resources for pretrial professionals are available through our online library. You can view recent items that have been added to the library and browse related library topics.

The Featured Resources on this page are items from the library that we have identified as important for pretrial professionals.

Featured Resources
Key Websites

Recommended Reading

Date	Title	Type
2011	Measuring What Matters: Outcome and Performance Measures for the Pretrial Services Field National Institute of Corrections. Pretrial Executives Network (Washington, DC). “This monograph presents recommended outcome and performance measures and mission-critical data … [that] will enable pretrial service agencies to gauge more accurately their programs’ effectiveness in meeting agency and justice system goals” (p. v). Sections of this publication include introduction, outcome measures, performance measures, mission-critical data, setting targets, and examples of pretrial release program measures.... Read More	24 pages
2010	Summary Report of the “Stakeholder Perceptions of Sentencing & Pretrial Options for Misdemeanants” By Keeling, Deborah G.. Louisville Metro Criminal Justice Commission (Louisville, KY). This summary is a great place to start for those people trying to determine what pretrial release strategies are most likely to be popular with their stakeholders. The report looks at: the credibility of the program as a sentencing option; the confidence in the program as a sentencing option; the confidence in the program as a pretrial option; individual accountability provided by the program; rank-order of restrictiveness of sentencing and pretrial options; perceived program effectiveness; cate... Read More	10 pages
2011	Kiosk Supervision for the District of Columbia By Jannetta, Jesse; Halberstadt, Robin. Urban Institute. Justice Policy Center (Washington, DC). The use of kiosk supervision for low-risk offenders and pretrial defendants is explained. The use of a kiosk frees up an agency’s supervision time to be used for moderate- and high-risk parolees and probationers. Topics discussed in this publication include: how the kiosk system works; kiosk supervision within a risk-reduction framework; challenges to implementing kiosk supervision; research and analysis regarding kiosk supervision; key implementation lessons; and conclusion. Through the use of ... Read More	7 pages
2004	Standards on Pretrial Release National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (Wauwatosa, WI). Effective procedures governing the release or detention of arrested individuals are presented. Thirty-four standards and related commentary are organized into the following four parts: general principles governing the pretrial process; nature of first appearance and release/decision; purposes, roles, and functions of pretrial services agencies; and management and oversight of pretrial processes following initial decision concerning release or detention.... Read More	88 p.
2011	State of the Science of Pretrial Risk Assessment By Mamalian, Cynthia A.. U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (Washington, DC). Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI) (Washington, DC). “This publication is designed for a wide-ranging audience of criminal justice stakeholders who have questions about pretrial risk assessment and its value to the pretrial justice process” (p.3). Sections of this report are: introduction; setting the stage; critical issues related to pretrial release, detention, and risk assessment; challenges to implementing evidence-based risk assessment and threats to reliable administration; methodological challenges associated with prediction of risk; where ... Read More	42 pages
2006	Pretrial Case Processing In Maine: A Study of System Efficiency & Effectiveness By Van Nostrand, Marie; Keebler, Gena; Jablonski, Patrick; Kays, Brian. National Institute of Corrections. Division of Community Corrections and Prisons (Washington, DC). Luminosity, Inc. (St. Petersburg, FL); Maine. Corrections Alternative Advisory Committee (CAAC) Augusta, ME. An assessment of Maine's pretrial case processing system is provided. This report contains the following sections: introduction; Maine's criminal justice system for pretrial case processing; key system participants (e.g., law enforcement, county jail(s), District and Superior Courts, District Attorney's Office, defense attorney, Grand Jury, pretrial services, and probation services) are described for each county in the state; and Maine pretrial case processing flow chart.... Read More	153 p.

Related Resources

Date	Title	Type
1988	Pretrial Release: Concepts, Issues, and Strategies for Improvement By Clarke, Stevens H.. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC); Robert J. Kutak Foundation (Omaha, NE). "After discussing some important concepts and issues and briefly looking at legal developments since the 1960s, this monograph reviews research on opportunity for pretrial release and the risks involved. It then explores the effectiveness of various reform measures in terms of both widening the opportunity for pretrial release and controlling the risks. The concluding section discusses various strategies for improving pretrial release."--Author's abstract. Includes bibliography.... Read More	57 p.
2004	Standards on Pretrial Release National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (Wauwatosa, WI). Effective procedures governing the release or detention of arrested individuals are presented. Thirty-four standards and related commentary are organized into the following four parts: general principles governing the pretrial process; nature of first appearance and release/decision; purposes, roles, and functions of pretrial services agencies; and management and oversight of pretrial processes following initial decision concerning release or detention.... Read More	88 p.
2006	Pretrial Case Processing In Maine: A Study of System Efficiency & Effectiveness By Van Nostrand, Marie; Keebler, Gena; Jablonski, Patrick; Kays, Brian. National Institute of Corrections. Division of Community Corrections and Prisons (Washington, DC). Luminosity, Inc. (St. Petersburg, FL); Maine. Corrections Alternative Advisory Committee (CAAC) Augusta, ME. An assessment of Maine's pretrial case processing system is provided. This report contains the following sections: introduction; Maine's criminal justice system for pretrial case processing; key system participants (e.g., law enforcement, county jail(s), District and Superior Courts, District Attorney's Office, defense attorney, Grand Jury, pretrial services, and probation services) are described for each county in the state; and Maine pretrial case processing flow chart.... Read More	153 p.
2007	Pretrial Justice: Principles and Practices National Institute of Corrections Academy (Aurora, CO). This two-hour program discusses strategies for developing an effective pretrial process (e.g., arrest, interview, risk assessment and recommendation, first appearance, post release supervision, and collaboration between shareholders—agencies, organizations, and the community). This presentation is designed to examine the impact of the pretrial decision to release or detain on jail crowding and public safety; promote fair and just pretrial decision making; and demonstrate best practices consisten... Read More	2 DVDs (118 min.)
2008	Topics in Community Corrections, Annual Issue 2008: Applying Evidence-Based Practices in Pretrial Services National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Aurora, CO). Articles in this issue include: “Foreword” by Ken Rose “A Framework for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Pretrial Services” by John Clark “Advancing Evidence-Based Practices in the Pretrial Field” by Katie Green, Pat Smith, and Kristina Bryant “Improving Pretrial Assessment and Supervision in Colorado” by Michael R. Jones and Sue Ferrere “Pretrial Defendants: Are They Getting Too Much of a Good Thing?” by Barbara M. Hankey “Charge Specialty and Revicti... Read More	40 p.
2008	A Framework for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Pretrial Services By Clark, John. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Aurora, CO). "This article presents a possible framework for developing research geared toward identifying evidence-based practices in pretrial services" (p. 4). Sections of this article are: limited pretrial research exists to support evidence-based practices; start with goals; use of the Pretrial Release Standards of the American Bar Association as objectives; tasks or objectives along with related issues that should be researched; and interpreting research findings to assimilate outcomes into practices.... Read More	7 p.
2008	Advancing Evidence-Based Practices in the Pretrial Field By Green, Katie; Smith, Pat; Bryant, Kristina. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Aurora, CO). The use of evidence-based practices in Virginia's pretrial system is discussed. This article has these sections: Background; Making a difference; And the three most applicable principles of effective interventions. ... Read More	3 p.
2008	Improving Pretrial Assessment and Supervision in Colorado By Jones, Michael R.; Ferrere, Sue. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Aurora, CO). The Colorado Improving Supervised Pretrial Release (CISPR) Project, an innovative pretrial initiative, is described. This article contains these sections; introduction; aims of the CISPR Project; and CISPR phases -- develop statistically validated pretrial release risk assessment instrument, match risks and interventions, educate system stakeholders, prepare documentation, assist with local implementation, and solidify progress. Phase I should last through 2008 with following phases continuing ... Read More	5 p.
2008	Pretrial Defendants: Are They Getting Too Much of a Good Thing? By Hankey, Barbara M.. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Aurora, CO). The use of the Step Forward program offered by the Oakland County Community Corrections Division (OCCCD) is explained. This article covers: programmatic approach -- intake assessments, case planning, services and interventions, case management, and sanctions and incentives; burning questions such as justifying the use of Step Forward by pretrial defendants and determining where to draw the line for pretrial failure; success rates compared; and next steps. Step Forward has a 93% success rate for... Read More	5 p.
2008	Pretrial Rearrests Among Domestic Violence Defendants in New York City By Peterson, Richard R.. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Aurora, CO). Pretrial rearrest among New York domestic violence (DV) defendants is examined. Sections contained in this article are: background; identifying DV and non-DV cases; offense patterns of DV and non-DV defendants; and conclusions. Since 9% of DV defendants are rearrested on a new DV offense, "victims may be at considerable risk of threats, intimidation, or retaliation during the pretrial period" (p. 38).... Read More	6 p.
2008	Pretrial Release of Latino Defendants By Levin, David. National Institute of Justice (Washington, DC). Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI) (Washington, DC). The granting of pretrial release to Latino defendants is examined. The following sections are contained in this report: abstract; executive summary; introduction; the intra-judicial roots of pretrial release research -- a brief review, a critique, and a way forward; disadvantaged groups and pretrial release in state courts -- an in-depth review; integrating pretrial release decisions and the racist threat hypothesis in a contextual approach; methodology; findings according to eligibility, finan... Read More	72 p.
2007	Legal and Evidence Based Practices: Application of Legal Principles, Laws, and Research to the Field of Pretrial Services By VanNostrand, Marie. National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). Luminosity, Inc. (St. Petersburg, FL); Crime and Justice Institute (Boston, MA); National Institute of Corrections. Community Corrections Division (Washington, DC). "[C]ritical legal principles applicable to defendants during the pretrial stage" are covered (p.3). Sections of this paper are: introduction and background; pretrial legal foundation -- presumption of innocence, right to counsel, right against self-incrimination, right to due process of law, right to equal protection under the law, right to bail that is not excessive, and summary of legal principles; evidence-based practices in pretrial services and community corrections; and summary and conclu... Read More	33 p.